Santana

骋驰乐坛30多年的Santana，创作源源不断外，与乐迷始终保持良好的互动，Santana非常清楚自个儿的魅力，Carlos以Jam Session起家，摇滚史上几个重要的音乐季Festival，都少不了Santana的现场莅临，最受瞩目的是1969年超过50万人次的Woodstock，以及后来在达拉斯举办该年第三大的Texas International Pop Festival，1973年Rolling Stone定期访美巡回表演，亦邀请Santana助兴，1978年在第二届California Jam贵为上宾，1982年的音乐盛事US Festival ，盛邀几个重量级的乐团参与，Santana想当然尔的在应邀之列，1985年7月为援非而在英美同步举办超大型的Live Aid， 1991年远赴巴西参加年度盛会Rock Rio II，以及91年为追悼BillGraham所举办的35万人音乐会，都少不了Santana的身影，Santana在国际乐坛所受到的瞩目，让不同国度的乐迷都引颈期盼，恭迎其盛。
生于墨西哥的Carlos Santana，1962年来到加州，完成高中学业后就一脑子栽进摇滚乐里，长时间沉浸于加州嬉皮文化，耳濡目染之下可发现Santana大部份专辑封面，都有浓浓的嬉皮色彩，手绘插画、颜色鲜明、字体很有创意，第一张及第二张专辑封面就很嬉皮，可是到了第三张专辑《Santana III》改采虚幻诡奇设计，似乎显露Santana隐含着幻觉Psychedelic的意含，听Santana的音乐的确充满亢奋、又有摇头晃脑的冲动。
Santana 的主唱Gregg Rolie认为，到了第三张专辑已经走到World Beat与Latin Rock的一种结合，而且还很难去为这样的音乐型态下一个定义，但是Santana的音乐已到无人取代，可见Santana乐风之特立独行，绝对是摇滚乐坛里的少数。No One To Depend On、Everybody's Everything应是专辑中的佼佼之作，Carlos的吉他几乎可以和任何乐器合作无间，甚至包括合声。让我们难以想象的是，Santana的团员编制有七人，若再加上外聘的乐手人数竟高达12人！Carlos Santana越搞越大，之后他又另请一位享誉乐界的吉他高手Neal Schon参与，两人各展其技，颇有较劲意味，可惜一山难容二虎，Neal Schon后来求去，并与原主唱Gregg Rolie共组知名乐团Journey。
Santana的前三张专辑公认为该团的重要经典，其最大原因是因为人和，那是Carlos从 66年带出来的人，长时间一起打拼，默契早已养成。1972年Santana重新改组，推出《Caravanserai》专辑，风格又偏向于爵士，新的键盘手Tom Coster取代了Gregg Rolie，成为Carlos得意助手，原鼓手Mike Shrieve此次与Carlos挑起大梁共同录制La Fuente Del Ritmo，由于曲风带有爵士，因此在编曲上钢琴的份量增加不少。
Carlos 除了忙于推出Santana的专辑外，自己也不忘发行个人的专辑，他之所以会想要有自己的专辑，纯是为了个人的兴趣，而且与同好一起玩玩，第一张是与 Buddy Miles合作《Live Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles》，而1973年《Love Devotion Surrender》则是全新的创作，这是与John McLaughlin两人联手吉他，一起玩JAZZ-FUSSION，实验意味浓厚。
Santana is the primary exponent of Latin-tinged rock, particularly due to its combination of Latin percussion (congas, timbales, etc.) with bandleader Carlos Santana's distinctive, high-pitched lead guitar playing. The group was the last major act to emerge from the psychedelic San Francisco music scene of the 1960s and it enjoyed massive success at the end of the decade and into the early '70s. The musical direction then changed to a more contemplative and jazzy style as the band's early personnel gradually departed, leaving the name in the hands of Carlos Santana, who guided the group to consistent commercial success over the next quarter-century. By the mid-'90s, Santana seemed spent as a commercial force on records, though the group continued to attract audiences for its concerts worldwide. But the band made a surprising and monumental comeback in 1999 with Supernatural, an album featuring many guest stars that became Santana's best-selling release and won a raft of Grammy Awards.
Mexican-native Carlos Santana (born July 20, 1947, in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico) moved to San Francisco in the early '60s, by which time he was already playing the guitar professionally. In 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band with keyboard player and singer Gregg Rolie (born June 17, 1947, in Seattle, WA) and other musicians, the personnel changing frequently. The group was given its name due to a musicians union requirement that a single person be named a band's leader and it did not at first indicate that Carlos was in charge. Bass player David Brown (born February 15, 1947, in New York, NY) joined early on, as did Carlos' high school friend, conga player Mike Carabello (born November 18, 1947, in San Francisco), though he did not stay long at first. By mid-1967, the band's lineup consisted of Carlos, Rolie, Brown, drummer Bob "Doc" Livingston, and percussionist Marcus Malone. The name was shortened simply to Santana and the group came to the attention of promoter Bill Graham, who gave it its debut at his Fillmore West theater on June 16, 1968. Santana was signed to Columbia Records, which sent producer David Rubinson to tape the band at a four-night stand at the Fillmore West December 19-22, 1968. The results were not released until almost 30 years later, when Columbia/Legacy issued Live at the Fillmore 1968 in 1997.